Automatic gun



INVENTOR. Jfwmm 5M H. O. EIANE AUTOMATIC GUN Filed June '7, 1938 Magda 7 Patented Mar. 7, 1939 AUTOMATIC GUN lHalvor Olsen Eianc, Washington lsland; Wis.

`Arpl'ilication June .7, 1938;S eria1z-No.:212;230

t In Canada August .6;:1937

, 6` Claims.

My-invention relates to improvements in gas @peratedguns-in which a portion of gases from airedl chargexina Abarrelisutilized as motive power for operating a piston in ay-,cylinder connected `to; awbreech: mechanism, and the objects 4rofmyximprovements are, rst, to provide means rfor. entrapping.I a suicient quantity; of*` gas in a .fspecialrreservoirto.enable a piston in a cylinder to operate; a vconnected breech'mechanism; secaond; .to,;pro vide;means for automatic filling and closing rof, :thec'gaswgreservoir to enable the `bore .fof a barrelto discharge rits, gases before thev piston irrtheraoylindenisEset inmotion `by gas pressure from the reservoir; and third, to prolong the life of the mechanism by reason of elimination of the sharp blows incidental to operation on the impulse principle employed in other-guns.

i I attain these objects` byv means of an automatic power mechanism embodying inv parts the main principle of my earlier application for patent; onv an Automatic rie, nled June 1, 1936, Serial No. 82,811, and further embodying improvements as shown and described in my. applications for, patents f on. anA Automatic .'irearm, filed in Canada,- Ang. 6, 1937, Great Britain., Aug. '10;1193'1 and in France, Aug. 25, 1937, together with` a few later improvements hereinafter more fully described and claimed, having reference to the accompanying drawing inxwhich Fig. 1 represents a longitudinal partly sectional side view .of the vassembled poweramechanism.: in attached relation to the barrel, through a projecting valvehousing.

fFig. 2 is .an enlargedsectionalside View, of .the piston taken along its longitudinal centenwhere the main bodyv of the piston is split into two khalvesVand shows a piston-rod joined to the zpiston.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional side View ofV a spring-pressed .check-Valve, shown in vits sup- :porting sleeve, in detached relation.

' Fig; 4 is. a cross sectional view .of an auxiliary exhaust valve, taken adjacent to the face. of the valve.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional side view of a tubular-shaped relief valve, shown in detached relation. and carrying the auxiliary exhaust valve within its body.

Fig. 6 is a bottom plan View of the projecting valve-housing on the barrel, showing the Valve `plug removed.

Fig. 7 is a top plan view of a control valve, showing its hinged lever slightly inclined so a vsecond ear thereon appears in the view.

Fig. S is a top plan View of the vvalve plug,

mmain.z action spring Bis kmounted onthejpis- Aton-'rod E land within :the cylinder 3. Y The front endsotfthenspring 8 abutsfagainst thefrear end :ofrthe` :piston 4; while :the Vrearend of the spring abuts against a cap 9. screwed--ontothe rear end :ofthe cylinder 3.

Aithetforward': end' of" the projecting valvehousing 2: is a cylindrical fgasereservoir Ill screwed into-said housingandthe joint permanently sexcureclby soldenzor similar means as there will be `no-lfurther needzforI .dismantling this particular vpart fof. thestructure.

Atlthe' front end ofnthe'reservoir IiI-is` a reducedsection .I I--in;which is'located a vValve seat I2. Upondthenseat .I2. rests. av tubular-shaped` relief valve I3, whichiat its opposite end away lfromthe. seat-isprovided with a ange I4, vadapt- 1edasfashoulder for a spring I5. A capA 'I6 is screwed-onto the .front endrof the reservoir k'Ill and-serveslas an yabutment vfor thespring I5, Iwhich-in'` turn presses the valve .I3 against the seat I I2.

'Referring.to"Fig. 5,`itvwill-be seenthat ithe rrelief'va'lve SI3carries-'Witl'1in1 its body an auxiliary exhaust valve I'I, which normally is held vopen by x l*the spring 1'I8, while a nut `I9 limits its opening. Aasection i211 of the yvalve I'I is. milled triangular in` cross. section (Fig. 4), so as to providel passagesffor gases to yilovvthrough the section;Y 20, Vthence-through vents 2I in the valve I3 and nal- -ly outthrough 'vents' 22 whichcommunicate with the atmosphere.

fflfteferringV again to'Fig. 1, it will Vbe seen that avpassage '23v communicates between the bore 24 andthe cylinder 3l andthe reservoir I0. In the -passage '23. :is' located a control valve 25, by which meansthepassage 23 canv be closed or `opened-pto any: degree as desired.

The yalvexlz'is provided'with a semi-circular collar 26.(Fig. '7), which is received by thesemi- ,circulanrecess 2'I Fig. 6) and thus maintains the Valvefinv position `against lateral end play. A #lever ZBishinged air/29 :(Fig. 7) to a hub 3G of the fvalveq25. by which meansthe valve may be turned-toranypositionas desired. VThe hinged lever 28 is provided with a lock-point 3| at its inner side and a pair of projecting ears 32 on its opposite side which are spaced apart to accommodate a spring 33 tending to press the lever 28 inward so that the lock-point 3l will engage radial locking pockets in a locking dial, which however is no part of the present invention.

At the lower end of the communicating passage 23 (Fig. l) is located an inverted tumbler-shaped check-valve 34 which normally closes the passage. The valve 34 is supported in a guide-bushing or sleeve 35 which is screwed into the valve-housing Z from the bottom side thereof and permanently secured thereto by means of soldering. Y

Referring to Fig. 6, it will be seen that the guide-sleeve 35 is provi-ded with a plurality of grooves 36 in its inner walls which serve as gas vents to equalize the gas pressure between the exterior and the interior of the valve 34, so that the valve is thereby always free to function.

A plurality of radially disposed grooves 31 (Fig. 8) in a plug 38 are in alignment with the grooves 36 when the plug 38 is screwed into its proper place in the guide-bushing 35,V and the gas Vents communicating between the exterior and the interior of the valve 34 are then complete.

The plug 38 serves as an abutment for a spring 39 which presses the valve 34 against its seat in the lower end of the communicating passage 23, which thereby is hermetically sealed.

A comparatively large longitudinal passage 40 in the valve-housing 2 communicates between the interior of the cylinder 3 and the gas-reservoir IE, and this passage is further enlarged around the guide-sleeve 35.

Referring more particularly to Fig. 2, it 'will be seen that the piston 4 is of a. novel design and construction, in which the main body of the piston is split longitudinally into two equal halves so that the ball-socket 1 in each half part will form a perfect bearing for the ball terminal 6, located on the forward end of the piston-rod 5. It will be further seen that the main body 4 of the piston is provided with a reduced section 4A, upon which are placed bull-rings to keep the two halves of the piston 4 together.

A squeezer bull-ring 4I is placed next to the socket 'I to squeeze the two halves of the piston 4 together; next are placed three or more bull-rings 42 over the reduced section 4A, and each bull-ring 42 carries an expansion ring 43. A nut 44 squeezes the bull-rings and the two piston halves together, and the nut is then locked by means of a split-key (not shown) which is inserted in the hole 45.

When a charge of gunpowder is fired in the barrel A, a projectile or bullet is forced out through the bore 24 and at the instant the bullet passes the communicating passage 23, gases will force the check-valve 34 open and fill the gasreservoir IIJ and simultaneously close bygas pressure the auxiliary exhaust valve I1.

If the gas pressure in the reservoir IIl is excessive the relief valve I3 will lift off its seat and the excessive gases escape out through the vents 22. At a point where the gas pressure in the bore 24 is near to the pressure in the reservoir I 0, the check-valve 34 will instantly close the passage 23 by reason of stored power in the spring 39.

Inertia of the breech mechanism to which the piston-rod 5 will be connected, in addition to pressure exerted thereon from the bore 24, will cause the piston to delay its movement until the pressure in the bore is nearly down to the zero mark, at which time a full head of gas pressure in the reservoir I will force the piston 4 out through the cylinder 3. When the piston 4 has passed the main exhaust port 46, the gases in the cylinder 3 and the reservoir I0 will pass out to the atmosphere.

ln the meantime, the spiral spring 8 has been compressed and the piston 4 will, by means of this compressed spring, return to its starting point in the cylinder 3 together with the pistonrod and its further connected breech mechanism. As the piston 4 returns to its normal position, gases collected in front of the piston will pass out through the auxiliary exhaust valve I1 which opens when the pressure in the reservoir is reduced to near the atmospheric pressure.

The cylinder cap 9 and the spiral spring 8 are placed on the piston-rod 5 prior to assembling the piston 4 on the terminal ball 6.

Referring further to Fig. 1, it will be noted that the cap I6 screwed onto the reservoir IIJ is provided with afange 41, which is intended for the purpose of retaining a front barrel band, when this power system is used in connection with military rifles.

Although this invention is primarily intended for use in connection with my earlier invention heretofore referred to in this specification, it is none the less my intention to use it in connection with any other guns which operate on the gas power principle, be it a small Igun carried in the hand or a big gun mounted on a carriage.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l.. In an automatic gas operated gun, a barrel having a bore, a lug projecting from the barrel and having a longitudinal passage extending therethrough and parallel to the bore and a second passage communicating between the bore and the longitudinal passage, said lug also having a valvechamber concentric with said second passage, a valve seat in the second passage, internal threads in the walls of said valve-chamber, a guide sleeve having external and internal threads received by said valve-chamber, a tumblershaped check-valve supported within said guide sleeve and engaging said valve seat, a spiral spring within said valve and abutting thereto, a plug having threads received by said guide sleeve and serving as an abutment for the other end of said spiral spring, and means for equalizing gas pressure on the inside and outside of said check;e valve.

2. In an automatic gas operated gun, a barrel having a bore, a lug projecting from the barrel and having a longitudinal passage extending therethrough and parallel to the bore, internal threads at each end or" said passage, said lug also having a second passage communicating between the bore and said longitudinal passage, said lug also having a valve-chamber, a spring-pressed check-valve supported within the chamber and normally closing said second passage, a cylinder provided with externally threaded ends received by the rear end of said longitudinal passage, a piston having a longitudinally split body and a ball-socket therein and adapted to move within said cylinder, a piston-rod having a ball-terminal received by said ball-socket, a guide cap threaded onto the rear end of the cylinder, said cylinder having an action spring and abutting against said piston and guide cap= said cylinder having an exhaust port, and means on the rear end of said pistonerod including a crosshead for further connections.

3. In an automatic gas operated gun, a barrel having a bore, a lug projecting from the barrel and having a longitudinal passage extending therethrough and parallel to the bore, internal threads at each end of said passage, said lug also having a second passage communicating between the bore and said longitudinal passage, said lug also having a valve-chamber, a spring-pressed valve Within the chamber normally closing said second passage, a cylinder having externally threaded ends received by the rear end of said longitudinal passage and also having a main exhaust port communicating with the atmosphere, a piston having its main body longitudinally split into halves adapted to move Within said cylinder, a ball-socket Within said split piston, a pistonrod having a ball-terminal received by said ballsocket, a plurality of bull-rings and a nut adapted to bind said split piston together, a guide cap attached to the rear end of the cylinder, a spiral spring abutting said piston and said guide cap, and means on the piston-rod for further connections.

4. In an automatic gas operated gun, a barrel having a bore, a lug projecting from the barrel and having a longitudinal passage extending therethrough, internal threads at each end of said passage, said lug also having a second passage communicating between the bore and said longitudinal passage, said lug also having a valvechamber, a spring-pressed check-valve in the chamber normally closing said second passage until opened by gas pressure from said bore, a cylinder attached to the rear end of said longitudinal passage, a piston in the cylinder, a pis ton-rod joined to the piston, a spiral spring bearing against the rear of said piston, said cylinder having a main exhaust port, a cylindrical reservoir threaded into the front end of said longitudinal passage, a spring-pressed relief valve connected to the reservoir, said reservoir adapted to receive and retain gases under pressure from said bore for causing said piston to move against said spiral spring, and means on the piston-rod including a crosshead for further connections.

5. In an automatic gas operated gun, a barrel having a bore, a lug projecting from the barrel and having a longitudinal passage extending therethrough and a second passage connecting the bore With the rst mentioned passage, said lug also having a valve-chamber, a spring-pressed check-valve in said chamber normally closing said second passage until opened by gas pressure from said bore, a cylinder threaded into the rear end of said longitudinal passage, a piston in the cylinder, said cylinder having an exhaust port, a cylindrical gas reservoir threaded into the front end of said longitudinal passage, a spring-pressed relief valve connected to said reservoir normally closed until opened by excessive pressure Within said reservoir, an auxiliary exhaust valve normally open by spring pressure carried within said relief valve, said auxiliary exhaust valve adapted to be closed by means of gas pressure from said reservoir and to open again when the piston in said cylinder has opened said exhaust port, means for enclosing and supporting said relief and exhaust valves including a cap threaded onto said reservoir, and means for connecting the piston to a breech mechanism including a piston-rod having a ball-terminal at one end and a crosshead at its opposite end.

6. In an automatic gas operated gun, a barrel having a bore, a lug projecting from the barrel and having a longitudinal passage extending therethrough and a second passage connecting the bore with said rst mentioned passage, said lug also having a valve-chamber, a spring-pressed check-valve located in said chamber and normally closing said second passage, a cylinder threaded into the rear end of said longitudinal passage, a. piston movable Within said cylinder, a cylindrical gas-reservoir threaded into the front end of said longitudinal passage, a relief valve connected to said reservoir, a one-Way control valve in said second passage, a semi-circular collar on said control valve, said lug having a semi-circular recess adapted to receive said collar, a hinged spring-pressed lever on said control valve adapted for regulating gases passing through said second passage to ll said reservoir While said relief valve limits the pressure thereof, said piston acted on by gas pressure from said reservoir, and means for connecting said piston to a breech mechanism, all substantially as shown and described.

HALVOR OLSEN EIANE. 

